


Ascendant

by TDRKitty



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: AU - Horde Prime Wins, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dark, Emotional Hurt, F/F, Forgive Me, Mind Control, Non-Sexual Submission, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:48:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24323803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDRKitty/pseuds/TDRKitty
Summary: “Little sister. It was your work that made this all possible. You’ve earned your place among us."
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 76





	Ascendant

“Little sister… I am impressed.”

Catra stood before Horde Prime, hands balled into fists in a vain attempt to keep them from trembling. Prime sat quite comfortably in his throne, and crossed his legs loosely.

“My old enemy, and the Heart of Etheria… Soon to be under my control. All thanks to you, little sister.”

Catra looked down at her feet. She was silent. Her heart felt as though it would be crushed under the pressure of emotions she could not describe.

“You’ve earned your place among us, little sister. I can see your turmoil, your pain and anguish. Only I can take those troublesome feelings from you. Only I can free you forever.”

 _Embrace freedom… Embrace Prime’s Light…_ The clones chanted around her.

Catra at once felt a sense of sickness, disgustingly twisting up with a shred of hope. Her conflicted feelings battled within her. She wanted to scream, to run away, to cry, to attack Horde Prime. It was too much; it felt like it was killing her. She grasped at her sides and doubled over, hot tears beginning to form and stream down her cheeks.

Pain, guilt, hope, fear, anger. They tore at her until she could bear it no more. She couldn’t carry this, she never wanted to in the first place. She fell to her knees, still clutching at her own aching body.

“Please.” She whispered. “Please set me free.”

* * *

_Years later..._

“It is time, at last. I have selected my successor, and the whole universe will bear witness.”

Catra smiled, admiring, up at Horde Prime as he spoke to all the universe. Horde Prime placed a hand gently on Catra’s shoulder. She knew she would never need anyone, or anything else.

She had long since forgotten there ever was anyone or anything else.

“Little sister. It was your work that made this all possible. Every being on every planet belongs to me, and always will, thanks to your efforts. I can think of no better vessel to carry my will in this new age.”

Although the room was quiet and only attended by a handful of clones, Catra could feel all eyes in the universe on her. Through their neural link, she could hear them thanking her and cheering her on. Horde Prime lowered his voice, and spoke to her.

“All of this is for you, little sister. For us.”

The preparations were a quiet affair. The chip on her neck was examined and tinkered with by a clone, while another pressed an oval shaped device into the skin of her forearm, noting the readings that it displayed. Once they seemed satisfied, Catra and Horde Prime were led by a procession of clones to a towering chamber that she had never seen.

The camber was brightly lit, and mostly empty save for two stone daises that lay next to each other. Glowing wires were set seamlessly into the rock, connecting the two diases. They were guided to and helped upon each dais. Catra’s fur bristled at the cold, but she lay perfectly still and waiting.

A light began to shine above her, and for a moment she thought she saw a figure she remembered within it, reaching towards her. The light quickly became too bright to look at, and she closed her eyes. She felt a little prick at the base of her skull, and soon drifted away into the cold darkness.

* * *

Catra didn’t understand how, but once she and Horde Prime had merged, she was still conscious, still aware. She thought she would disappear when the merging was complete, but she was definitely still here. Now, though, she could feel countless other consciousnesses with her.

The others welcomed her and praised her. They admired the strength and wit that she brought to them, and she could feel herself gaining the intelligence and will of so many that came before her. With their joining, they promised to become something greater than any of them could be individually. They were one, and they were ready to enter the world again.

* * *

Horde Prime opened his… No, that wasn’t right. That was never right. Horde Prime opened _their_ eyes, and sat up.

They first felt the cold stone dais under them, then the cool, still air of the chamber, then the prickling sensation of their skin reacting to the cold. It was electric. They had forgotten how invigorating it felt to have a truly, fully organic body as their host. The feeling of nails, hair, flesh, all grown imperfectly and incrementally, was fascinating to Prime. 

The bodies of the clones were as close to perfect as possible. They could survive for centuries under the right conditions. They were functional and efficient, but this felt… _fun._ This new body would of course be outfitted with the greatest technology available to ensure optimal function for decades beyond its prior expected lifespan. They mused that maybe, with care, they could keep this body optimal for a century beyond the expected time, but that wasn’t important at this moment.

The humming electronic dais that they sat upon was surrounded by their kneeling clones. A few went to cart away their old body, which was now another memory bank, to be accessed and understood by all their future iterations in the millennia to come.

The remaining clones rose to their feet and carefully, with their aid, Horde Prime stood up.

They were excited, but understood that they needed to take it slow for a few minutes after the transfer. Slowly, but deliberately, they made their way to a great mirror facing the daises.

They touched the mirror softly, claws clicking against the glass, and tilted their head one way, and then another, evaluating their new face. They stretched their arms towards the ceiling, then out around them, and down towards the floor, testing their new body. It was lean, agile, and those sharp claws could rend even metal to shreds. They looked back into their own face again, and a serene smile was reflected back at them. It was a powerful body. A perfect body.

* * *

Within the compound mind of Horde Prime, Catra was finally at ease. She vaguely remembered a time when she was alone, and suffering so much. She thought for a moment that she could feel something, deep within her memory, a strange feeling still reaching for her. It felt like something she had forgotten. Something she needed, or at least, needed once upon a time.

Horde Prime, all of them, took notice of Catra’s brief discontent, and embraced her in their light. The last remnants of that strange memory slipped away. This, right here and now, was all she ever wanted and needed.

She would never be alone again.

* * *

Catra’s eyes snapped open. She was covered in a cold sweat and panting. She had been holding her pillow so tightly that it was torn beneath her claws. She squeezed her eyes shut and wished away the horrible nightmare. Suddenly, she felt a familiar warm weight drape itself over her middle, and heard a soft grunt. Adora.

“I’ll protect you…” Adora mumbled. “…never let them get you….”

Catra smiled, wondering what great evil Adora must be fighting in her dreams.

The first bits of morning light streamed in through the window. She couldn’t bring herself to sleep again and risk returning to that twisted nightmare world, but she didn’t plan to wake Adora either. So, she took Adora’s hand, careful not to jostle her or wake her up, and let out a soft sigh.

 _This_ was what she needed. This was _who_ she needed. And she would never forget it.

**Author's Note:**

> I had been thinking of this scenario during the final season and really wanted to write it down. I'm sorry.


End file.
